Michael Bloomberg Gives Biggest Individual Contribution in Oregon Political History [View all]

Nike co-founder Phil Knight's gotten a lot of ink for his extraordinary support of state Rep. Knute Buehler (R-Bend) in the current governor's race. Knight has given Buehler $2.5 million directly and also given at least $1 million to the Republican Governors' Association, which has given $2.46 million to Buehler.

But late Friday, the Vote No on 103 campaign, which opposes a ban on grocery taxes, disclosed a $1.5 million check from Michael Bloomberg, the former New York mayor and founder of the media company that bears his name.

Bloomberg , a major funder of public health initiatives around the country, is the leading supporter of taxes on sweetened sodas and other sugary drinks. Such taxes have passed in Seattle, San Francisco and Oakland—but a proposed tax in Multnomah County has stalled, despite years of effort and lots of Bloomberg's money.

It appears that Measure 103, backed by the grocery industry, would prohibit the imposition of a soda tax at the local or state level, a likely reason for Bloomberg to oppose it.

Read more: https://www.wweek.com/news/2018/10/28/michael-bloomberg-gives-biggest-individual-contribution-in-oregon-political-history/